Charles Haley smiles during a press conference where 49ers executives
announced Haley's return to the NFL, and more importantly, his return to
the 49ers, on Wednesday, July 21, 1999, at the teams headquarters in Santa
Clara, Ca. Chronicle Photo by Carlos Avila Gonzalez

Charles Haley smiles during a press conference where 49ers...

Image 2 of 2

49ers players Ray Brown, Merton Hanks (standing), and Bryant Young,
listen to Charles Haley answer questions from the media at a press
conference where 49ers executives announced Haley's return to the NFL, and
more importantly, his return to the 49ers, on Wednesday, July 21, 1999, at
the teams headquarters in Santa Clara, Ca.
Chronicle Photo by Carlos Avila Gonzalez

With defensive end Charles Haley signed and delivered, the 49ers intensified their focus yesterday on attracting running back Lawrence Phillips, fully aware that other suitors are dangling more cash and other goodies before the controversial free agent.

"We're hopeful but it's certainly not completed. We've had hours of conversations, negotiations, exchanges that I have had personally with Lawrence and his agent," said 49ers general manager Bill Walsh, adding that he wants a decision from Phillips no later than today.

"We're working toward signing Lawrence. But we can't sit here and say we've signed him because other clubs are very aggressively contacting him and saying, 'Regardless of what the 49ers are offering, we'll offer you more.' We're getting that."

Those other clubs remain Buffalo and Green Bay, both of which are offering Phillips more up-front money -- the Bills reportedly promised a signing bonus of more than $200,000 -- and extended playing time, even beyond this season.

Mitch Frankel, Phillips' agent, made that clear yesterday, coming forth to suggest that the 49ers will win the race to sign his client provided the club put more bonus money on the table.

"The Bills' offer is much more substantial," Frankel said, adding that the 49ers were in position to make the right contract offer despite their minimal salary cap room.

"The money is there," Frankel said.

Whether the 49ers are in position to juggle their roster, release veterans and re-sign them to free additional cap space is unclear. But playing time this season is something the 49ers can offer.

With last season's top rusher Garrison Hearst expected to miss 14 to 16 weeks following his scheduled ankle surgery on Saturday, the immediate need is there.

In Buffalo, the future of Bills running back Thurman Thomas is cloudy beyond this season, although Buffalo did get 1,124 yards last season from third-year back Antowain Smith. The Packers, meanwhile, may not be comfortable relying entirely on Dorsey Levens, who was sidelined much of last season with a broken leg and sprained ankle.

"There are a lot of factors, and one of them is (Phillips) conceivably starting here," Walsh said. "The other is accounting for the fact that Garrison may return here, and what will it hold for us a year from now, if Garrison is 100 percent.

"My personal feeling is that Lawrence wants to play here. Now, whether we can meet the demands that his agent is extending, we just don't know. But we're working toward it."

Walsh reiterated that Phillips will not be under a microscope in training camp at Santa Clara, that the team will not lecture, monitor or follow him to keep tabs on his off- field behavior. He also said that should Phillips decide to sign elsewhere, the team will be just fine with its current crop of running backs, including recently signed Charlie Garner.

Safety Merton Hanks said he has no problem with the 49ers pursuing Phillips. "If he helps us win games, then that's the bottom line," Hanks said. "We can posture and say this or that, but if our job is to win football games, then we need to sign him. Either he'll help us win games or he won't."

In other news, as the rape trial of backup quarterback Jim Druckenmiller continued into its third day yesterday, the 49ers denied a report that they had waived the third-year player.

Releasing Druckenmiller at this point would count as a $450,000 hit against the salary cap, unless he is picked up by another team. With every salary-cap penny badly needed in the quest for Phillips, that's a risk the 49ers may not be willing to take right now.